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A review by brennieree33
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
5.0
Holy crap this book was amazing. I can't even begin to describe all of the ways that this book touched my heart and soul, and I know that it will linger with me for a long time, and that it will be one of those books that I reread constantly. This book has a sort of sacredness to me, that everytime I read it, it felt as though this was a book that deserved to be shared.
This isn't an action-packed story by any means. In fact, I'd say that my only qualms with it was how the prophet storyline was handeled. This book is entirely character based, or perhaps even atmosphere based. Mandel's writing, the words and care that she uses in describing things, set up this glorious atmosphere of a solemn and forgotten world, abandoned in a hurry, with moments frozen in time made of corpses and decaying structures. Her writing paints a vivid image that you feel to your very core. And, living in the age of a global pandemic with a fear of change, this book instilled so much fear in me at times. And other times, it filled me with a peace and hope that we could start over and create a world that it better than the one we lived in now. Hopefully not by wiping out a good amount of the world's population, but by having empathy for others. Absolutely fabulous. If I can give you one peice of life advice, I would say: read this freaking book.
-It was pretty obvious from the beginning that the prophet was Tyler. He was the only character that we knew who fit the timeframe, and as all of the important players in the story are connected to Arthur in some way, it was obviously going to be him. But I didn't find this disappointing, to be honest. However, I do wish that we had gotten a better picture of how the end of civilization had twisted Tyler and Elizabeth to give them their fates. The pacing of this aspect of the story is really wonky, with us meeting the prophet near the beginning and then developments with that story happening every 100 pages or so, and I honestly think I could have done without it, but it was still interesting.
-Mandel really succeded with writing and atmosphere, as I mentioned above. I could really picture myself in this post-apocalyptic world, and I could see and smell and envision everything. I loved so many of her words and descriptions, and it was so beautiful. Truly amazing book.
-It's so weird to think of the ushers just picking things up after Arthur's death. Like the world goes on.
- Mandel likes "plastic translucencies"
- I also feel super alive on stage, and I love how that's brought up here
- "'You don't have to understand it... It's mine.'" Totally.
- "Because we are always looking for the former world, before all the traces of the former world are gone." This hits really hard.
- "If you are the light, if your enemies are darkness, then there's nothing you cannot justify." And that's terrifying.
- "I want to do something remarkable but I don't know what." Again, felt.
- "I think I have to stop listening to your words, V., and take stock instead in your actions." A lesson all should learn.
- "'But why are you crying?' 'I'd thought I was the only one.'" That's so insane to think about. You think you're the only person left and all of a sudden there's more people who have found you. I'd cry too.
This isn't an action-packed story by any means. In fact, I'd say that my only qualms with it was how the prophet storyline was handeled. This book is entirely character based, or perhaps even atmosphere based. Mandel's writing, the words and care that she uses in describing things, set up this glorious atmosphere of a solemn and forgotten world, abandoned in a hurry, with moments frozen in time made of corpses and decaying structures. Her writing paints a vivid image that you feel to your very core. And, living in the age of a global pandemic with a fear of change, this book instilled so much fear in me at times. And other times, it filled me with a peace and hope that we could start over and create a world that it better than the one we lived in now. Hopefully not by wiping out a good amount of the world's population, but by having empathy for others. Absolutely fabulous. If I can give you one peice of life advice, I would say: read this freaking book.
-It was pretty obvious from the beginning that the prophet was Tyler. He was the only character that we knew who fit the timeframe, and as all of the important players in the story are connected to Arthur in some way, it was obviously going to be him. But I didn't find this disappointing, to be honest. However, I do wish that we had gotten a better picture of how the end of civilization had twisted Tyler and Elizabeth to give them their fates. The pacing of this aspect of the story is really wonky, with us meeting the prophet near the beginning and then developments with that story happening every 100 pages or so, and I honestly think I could have done without it, but it was still interesting.
-Mandel really succeded with writing and atmosphere, as I mentioned above. I could really picture myself in this post-apocalyptic world, and I could see and smell and envision everything. I loved so many of her words and descriptions, and it was so beautiful. Truly amazing book.
-It's so weird to think of the ushers just picking things up after Arthur's death. Like the world goes on.
- Mandel likes "plastic translucencies"
- I also feel super alive on stage, and I love how that's brought up here
- "'You don't have to understand it... It's mine.'" Totally.
- "Because we are always looking for the former world, before all the traces of the former world are gone." This hits really hard.
- "If you are the light, if your enemies are darkness, then there's nothing you cannot justify." And that's terrifying.
- "I want to do something remarkable but I don't know what." Again, felt.
- "I think I have to stop listening to your words, V., and take stock instead in your actions." A lesson all should learn.
- "'But why are you crying?' 'I'd thought I was the only one.'" That's so insane to think about. You think you're the only person left and all of a sudden there's more people who have found you. I'd cry too.